gms | German Medical Science

15th Annual Meeting of the German Drug Utilisation Research Group (GAA)

Gesellschaft für Arzneimittelforschung und Arzneimittelepidemiologie

20.11. - 21.11.2008, Bonn

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Prevalence and determinants of use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) in a population-based sample of adults with musculo-skeletal pain

Prävalenz und Determinanten des Gebrauchs von nicht-steroidalen antiinflammatorischen Substanzen (NSAID) in einer bevölkerungsbasierten Stichprobe von Erwachsenen mit muskuloskelettalen Beschwerden

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  • corresponding author U. Thiem - Department of Geriatrics, Marienhospital Herne, University of Bochum, Herne, Germany
  • K. Janhsen - Department of Geriatrics, Marienhospital Herne, University of Bochum, Herne, Germany
  • E. Engin - Department of Geriatrics, Marienhospital Herne, University of Bochum, Herne, Germany
  • L. Pientka - Department of Geriatrics, Marienhospital Herne, University of Bochum, Herne, Germany

Gesellschaft für Arzneimittelanwendungsforschung und Arzneimittelepidemiologie e.V. (GAA). 15. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Arzneimittelanwendungsforschung und Arzneimittelepidemiologie. Bonn, 20.-21.11.2008. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2008. Doc08gaa20

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/gaa2008/08gaa20.shtml

Published: November 6, 2008

© 2008 Thiem et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.

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Context: The use of NSAID to treat musculo-skeletal pain is common, although it yields the risk of gastrointestinal and cardiovascular side effects. Administrative data on drug prescriptions do not allow an adequate evaluation of risks of NSAID use, as they often lack adjustment for co-factors like pain intensity, clinical risk factors and comorbidity.

Aim of the study: To assess the risks of NSAID use in a population-based sample of adults with musculo-skeletal pain.

Material and methods: The City of Herne Osteoarthritis Study is a survey with a random sample of adults aged 40 years or older in Herne, Germany, performed in 2005. Data on prevalence, site and intensity of pain, comorbidity and current medication were collected using a postal questionnaire. A reminder questionnaire and telephone interviews were used in those not responding to the main questionnaire.

Results: The overall response rate was 57,8%. Of responders with musculo-skeletal pain within the last 12 months, 55,6% answered the main questionnaire. This sample (1.707 participants, 59,1% women, mean age 61,1 ± 12,1 years) was characterized by low back and knee as the predominant sites of pain, a median pain intensity of 5 (visual-analog-scale) and typical cardiovascular (hypertension 41,7%, chronic heart failure 11,5%) and gastrointestinal (history of peptic ulcer disease 7,9%) comorbidity. NSAID were used at least intermittently by 33,1%. In a logistic regression model, NSAID use was associated with female sex, pain intensity and – inversely – comorbidity and age. However, in subgroups at high risk for cardiovascular or gastrointestinal side effects NSAID were still in use.

Conclusions: Although negatively associated with age and comorbidity in this sample, NSAID are still in use even in high risk patients. The reasons for this finding warrant further investigation.